Bottle-crate.



w'. A. BURLl-NGAME.

BOTTLE CRATE.

APPLICATION mso Dec.\1,1915.

Patenw Oct. 24, i916.

f4 7 W94- f4 WILLIS A. BURLINGAME, 0F RICHLAND, WASHINGTON.

BOTTLE-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 40ct. 2d, 19th.

Application filed December 1l, 1915. Serial No. 66,257.

Be it known that I, WILLIS A. BURLIN- ouin, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Richland, in the county of Benton, State of`Washington, have invented a new and useful Bottle-Crate; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

rlhe present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inbottle crates, and has for its object to provide a device. of thischaracter which embodies novel features of construction whereby thebottles can be readily locked in position, thereby enabling the bottlesto be retained in place even though the crate may be inverted. i

Further objects of the invention are/to provide a bottle crate which iscomparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can bequickly manipulated to lock the bottles in position or release themtherefrom, which admits of large quantities of bottles being handledwithout danger of breakage, and which locks the bottles in such a mannerthat they will not ar loose.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is atop plan view of a bottle crate constructed in accordance with thcinvention, portions being broken away and shown in section to illustratemore clearly certain details. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, the locking bars being shownby full lines in operative position and by dotted lines in aninoperative position. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view onthe line 3 8 of Fig. l, the bottles being indicated by dot and dashlines and the locking bars being shown in operative position by fulllinesand in inoperative position by dotted lines.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indi cated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

The skeleton frame of the crate may be formed of metal or like materialand includes rectangular top and bottom frames l and 2 respectively,said frames being connected at the corners thereof by uprights 3. Theuprights and frames are shown in the present instance as formed of angleiron, since the use of this material admits of a strong and lightskeleton frame being readily formed, although it will be understood thatany other suitable material may be employed.

Extending longitudinally across the bottom of the crate and connectingthe ends of the bottom frame 2 is a series of rods lV upon which thebottles 5 rest when in position. At a point slightly above thelongitudinal bottom bars or rods 4, the opposite ends and sides of thebottom frame 2 are connected by intersecting cross wires 6 which extendbetween the rows of bottles 5 and hold the lower ends of the bottlesspaced from each other, forming in effect cells in which the lower endsof the bottles are placed.

At a suitable height the corner posts 3 are connected by angle iron bars7, said bars extending entirely around the skeleton frame of the crateand being arranged at substantially the same height as the shoulders ofthe bottles 5. lThe bars 7 at the sides of the crate are connected by aseries of resilient cross wires or rods 8 extending between thetransverse rows of bottleswithin the crate. In a similar manner, thebars 7 at the ends of the skeleton frame of the crate are connected byflat locking bars 9 which extend between the longitudinal rows ofbottles. These locking bars 9 terminate at the extremities thereof instuds 10 which are pivotally mounted within the end bars 7, and when theiiat locking bars 9 are swung into a vertical position the lower edgesthereof engage the cross wires 8 so as to iiex the same downwardly andproduce a bending stress therein. When the dat locking bars 9 are in avertical position the bottles 5 can be readily placed in position withinthe crate or removed therefrom, although when the fla-t locking bars 9are turned into a substantially horizontal position the edges thereofengage the shoulders of the bottles 5 in such a manner as to lock thebottles in position and prevent them from dropping out of place, eventhough the crate may be inverted. When the locking bars 9 are in anoperative position, the resilient cross wires 8 engage the fiat facesthereof so as to hold them securely against accidental rotation. Noamount of jarring or jolting will swing the flat locking bars into aninoperative position, although it will be obvious that when they areforcibly swung'into a vertical position a dead center is produced andthey will remain in an inoperative position until forcibly turned asufficient amount to overcome the dead center.

'In order to provide for a simultaneous actuation of all of the flatlocking bars 9, each of the said bars is provided with an arm 11 whichis inclined to one of the fiat faces thereof, said arms 11 beingpivotally connected to a transversely extending operating handle 12arranged between one of the transverse rows of bottles. By moving thisoperating bar 12 in one direction all of the flat locking bars 9 can besimultaneously swung into an inoperative or operative position, asdesired. When the iiat locking bars 9 are vertically disposed, thebottles 5 can be readily removed from the crate or placed in positiontherein, although when the flat locking bars 9 are vhorizontallydisposed the edgesthereof engage the shoulders of the bottles to retainthebottles against displacement and the resilient cross wires 8 bearagainst the flat faces of the locking bars in such a manner that noamount of jolting or jarring will cause the locking bars to swing intoan inoperative position and release the bottles.

The inside corners of the upper rectangular frame 1 of the crate areshown as provided with upwardly projecting angular lugs 14 which aresuitably positioned to enter the inside corners of the bottom frame 2 ofa superposed crate, thereby enabling a number of crates to be safelypiled on top of each other.

The present form of crate is a great improvement upon the ordinarycrate, since it admits of the crate being inverted for the purpose ofdraining the bottles. Ordinarily the bottles are placed in the crates inan inverted position after being washed and then, whenit is desired toill the bottles, each bottle is taken out by hand and turned over. Thisis a tedious and expensive operation where large numbers of bottles arehandled, and with the present invention this second handling of thebottles is entirely eliminated. The bottles are placed in the cratesafter being washed, and no further handling of the bottles is necessaryuntil the time comes for delivering them to the consumers. After thebottles are locked in position in the crate the crate can be inverted todrain the same, and again turned over when it is desired to fill thebottles. It will thus be seen that the use of these crates will resultin the saving of time and labor, since the necessity of turning thebottles by hand before filling is entirely eliminated.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bottle crate including a frame constructed to receive a row ofbottles, resilient cross wires extending between the bottles, and alongitudinally extending locking bar pivotally mounted upon the frameand adapted to engage the bottles to retain them in position, saidlocking bar being formed with flat surfaces which are engaged by theresilient cross wires to retain the locking bar in operative position.

2. A bottle crate including a frame constructed to receive a row ofbottles, resilient cross wires extending between the bottles, and alongitudinally extending iat locking bar pivotally mounted upon theframe to turn about a longitudinal axis and adapted to have an edgeportion thereof rotated into engagement with the shoulders of thebottles to hold the bottles against displacement, one of the fiat facesof the locking bar coperating with the resilient cross rods to hold thelocking bar in operative position.

3. A bottle crate including a frame constructed to receive a pluralityof rows of bottles, resilient cross wires extending between individualbottles of each row, iat locking bars extending between the rows ofbottles and pivotally mounted upon the frame to rotate about ahorizontal axis, the edges of the flat locking bars being adapted to beturned into engagement with the shoulders of the bottles to retain thebottles in position and the flat faces of the locking bars then beingengaged by the resilient cross wires to hold the locking bars inoperative position, arms projecting from the locking bars, and anoperating bar pivotally connected to the arms for simultaneouslyswinging all of the locking bars into or out of operative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIS A. BURLINGAME.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. FRIERMooD, M. D. OCONNELL.`

topics of this patent may be obtained for Vve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patenti, Washington, D. C.

